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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · lie · wax · bound · land · spring · stand · key

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — tied together
  6. key — in music
  7. spring — the season
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — a country
  13. lie — to recline
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — certain
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. land — ground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com